digital stamps for cards

Sunday, January 5, 2014

A digital camera captures images in a digital format, unlike a conventional camera, which captures images using a photographic film.

History:

Using a mosaic photosensor, Eugene F. Lally of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory first showed how still photos could be produced in a digital domain. An engineer at Eastman Kodak, Steve Sasson, used solid-state CCD chips to build a prototype digital camera having a resolution of 0.01 megapixel, and recorded black and white digital images to a magnetic cassette tape. With this prototype model, Steve took the first image in December of 1975 taking 23 seconds to capture it.

In 1988, Fuji DS-1P became the first digital camera that captured images as a computerized file. However, the camera never entered the U.S. market. In 1991, Kodak DCS-100 was the first commercially available digital camera, which used a 1.3 megapixel sensor. With the advancement of technology, modern digital cameras have become multifunctional and are now capable of capturing audio/video and still photographs.

Benefits:

1 - You get superior image quality. Digital cameras can offer good to excellent image resolution.

2 - You get a fair price. A digital camera is reasonably priced and is affordable.

3 - You can transfer the pictures to your laptop. You can easily connect the digital camera to your laptop and transfer the pictures in your hard disk.

4 - You can print in large sizes. Due to its high resolution, pictures can be printed in large sizes by any plotter.

5 - You can email the pictures to your friends. You can send the pictures by email to your loved ones.

6 - You can store the images in CDs or hard disk. Once the pictures are transferred from digital camera to the computer, permanent storage on a CD or hard disk is possible.

7 - You can take the camera in your pocket while you travel. The small size of the digital camera makes traveling with it easy and a pleasure.

8 - You can move in close to your subject. Zoom lenses offer close-ups of your subject with sharp focus. You can take very good close-ups of flowers, bugs, stamps, coins, etc.

9 - You can rework the image in a computer. Any photo editing software can rework the images taken.

10 - You can take good pictures even in low-light situations. Due to flexible over sensitivity or ISO equivalents, digital cameras can easily take detailed pictures even in low-light conditions.

11 - You can take quality still photos of moving objects. Sports and fashion photography can be easily accomplished due to the fast burst rate of digital cameras.

12 - You save money. There is no need of buying photographic films, developing them into negatives and positives. Moreover, the batteries are usually rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which last a long time.

13 - You can choose as per your needs and fancy. Many models are available like standard digital camera, underwater digital camera, waterproof digital camera, compact digital camera, and the professional digital camera.

Digital cameras consume a lot of power, which is supplied by powerful, small in size batteries. Batteries are broadly divided into two groups, namely, off-the-shelf and proprietary. Off-the-shelf batteries are like AA, CR2, CR-V3, AAA, and RCR-V3. They are lithium-ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Standard AA non-rechargeable alkaline batteries either do not work or work for only a very short time in most cameras.

Proprietary batteries are built as per the manufacturer`s custom specifications and are usually available as aftermarket replacement parts. Generally, lithium ion batteries are widely used as proprietary batteries for digital cameras.

Friday, January 3, 2014

One of the most vital elements in an online auction is the photography of the item being auctioned. People want to see pictures of things they are contemplating buying. Approximately 90% of all auctions on eBay have images. More than 80% of buyers will skip over an auction without photos.

A photograph may be worth well more than 1000 words when the item being sold is for example, a rare coin. Potential bidders can view the coin in close up detail, and verify the seller's stated description of the item, as well as any certificates of authenticity. Even less tangible items like software sell much better in auctions where a photograph of the box is provided. If the item you are selling has any damage or flaws, make sure to document this with a picture.

If you will just be an occasional seller, and you don't own a digital camera, it is very easy and inexpensive to have your 35mm photos digitized. If you will be holding regular auctions with photographs of your items, you may want to purchase a digital camera. An inexpensive digital camera will work fine; 3 megapixels will be more than adequate for most auction photos.

For taking online auction photos, you should choose a medium resolution, (for example 1024x768 pixels). This should allow you to get a good sharp image without a long upload time. When photographing smaller items, use the macro setting on your digital camera which allows you to get closer to the item. This will create a narrow depth of field, bringing your item into sharp focus, and minimizing background distractions. If your camera will not take extreme close up photos, don't worry; you can always crop and enlarge your pictures later. Your goal is for the featured item to take up as much of the photograph as possible.

Choosing the right background for your auction photographs can turn average pictures into powerful selling tools. Most importantly, the background should not distract attention from the item being photographed. Your background should be plain and contrast with your item. Using too light a background color with a light colored item can cause the picture to appear "washed out". Remove any clutter from view of the camera, and smooth out any wrinkles in a fabric backdrop if using one. Hardwood floors can be excellent backgrounds for a variety of auction photos, as they create a warm, natural glow in your pictures, yet do not draw attention away from the item for sale. A background that complements your item will make your photographs look professional and could influence potential bidders to favor your item over other similar offerings.

If possible, experiment with taking some of your auction photos outdoors on an overcast day, or indoors near a window. The natural soft lighting will show more detail in your pictures. If you must work indoors, consider using a tripod, allowing you to get good pictures without using a flash. A flash can cause an unwanted glare when photographing a reflective item. When using an artificial light source, try different light positioning until you get the best possible illumination.

If you are photographing something two dimensional like postage stamps or baseball cards, you will get the most revealing photographs shooting your item straight on. For other more three dimensional subjects, shooting at an angle will let you maximize the perception of depth. Experiment with varying angles until you find the one you prefer.

When photographing large items for auction like vehicles, many of the previously mentioned rules apply. The car should be photographed from a variety of angles, and there should be as little clutter as possible in the background; especially trash, or anything else that could give a negative impression of the value of the vehicle. If you are like most of us, you probably don't have a suitable place to photograph an automobile indoors. Since you will be shooting outdoors, choose either a cloudy day or the hours of dusk or twilight for the best clarity and the most attractive photos. You will have to stand back a bit to get an entire vehicle in frame, so try to pick a place where you won't have people walking through your background.

Now you have some fantastic photos of your item or items for sale, and you have them saved on your computer in either JPG or GIF format using a descriptive name (e.g., painting_2.JPG). Ebay offers basic and enhanced picture services. Enhanced picture services allow you to crop, rotate, and adjust the brightness and contrast of your photos before uploading. You can also upload them to your own web service if you prefer; however, eBay requires that you use HTML in your listing to display more than one externally hosted picture. There are several good websites that offer free image hosting service for remote hosting of pictures for auction sites such as Ebay and Yahoo.

The number of pictures you show in your auction will vary, depending on the type of item being sold, and what your competition is doing. Search some auction listings to see what competitors are doing with their photographs, and how many they are using. Put yourself in the place of a potential buyer; is your listing providing enough detail both visual and written to make your buyer feel comfortable bidding? Will the winning bidder be satisfied that the item they received was accurately portrayed in your listing, and therefore leave better feedback? In highly competitive markets, detailed, professional-looking photographs can give you the edge you need to be successful in online auctions.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Everyone has a hobby of some kind - most people have several. There are people who collect stamps; people who make scrapbooks or create graphic designs with their digital photos; people who love horseback riding, hiking or bicycling.

Maybe you do something that you don't even know is considered a "hobby". Technically, anything that you engage in for fun that is outside of your occupational activities is considered a hobby- so chances are you have lots of hobbies.

Have you ever considered turning one of your hobbies into a business? You may be surprised at how virtually any hobby can be converted to profits, and without tremendous overhead or ridiculously high start up costs.

What's even better, you aren't required to have a specific product to sell! In fact, you can make your knowledge your product to sell.

If you participate regularly in some sort of hobby, you are bound to know quite a bit about it. If you make scrapbooks of your family and friends, then you probably have extensive knowledge about where to get the best deals on your scrapbooking supplies, and how to create special effects on your photo album pages.

Maybe you have magazines and websites that you refer to all the time for inspiration. You have the personal knowledge of what it took to get started in the hobby. For example, scrapbooking requires that you have access to supplies like paper, stickers, glue, photo albums and scrapbooking tools.

Someone who has just learned about scrapbooking and thinks they want to start the hobby will need to figure out what they need to get started. You could offer this knowledge as your product to sell. Think people won't buy it? Think again.

If you've ever used a search engine to look up information, you know that it's time consuming to sort through all the data to find exactly what you're looking for. Often, you're given tons of information that doesn't seem all that reliable, and you have to determine what you can use and what you need to avoid.

When you make your personal knowledge of a hobby your product to sell- you're helping everyone who wants to find that information without spending hours searching for it.

You do not need to have a physical product to sell in order to make a profit. In fact, having an inventory or having to create physical items from materials offers a lower profit margin than selling information.

Information products are among the top items to sell for a variety of reasons. They offer a low cost to get started, meaning you start earning a profit after just a couple sales. Informational products include eBooks, online courses or email courses, software, audio files, web sites- basically anything that can be downloaded from the internet.

You aren't required to have an inventory and you can set up your business model to allow you to earn money by the work other people do for you.

So now, maybe you're thinking that this is all well and good- but you still don't have a product to sell! You haven't written an eBook, and maybe your writing skills leave little to be desired. Creating online or email courses are time consuming, and to create software you need special training. You can still sell your knowledge. Create a "package" of items that someone would need in order to get started in a particular hobby, and promote it as the "everything you need to know" about starting the hobby.

Contact someone who has written an informative eBook on the topic; find someone else who has made an online video or radio show regarding it, and request permission to sell the items in your package. If they have affiliate programs, you can probably sign up for the affiliate programs and earn commission that way. Include your list of great providers for supplies or information that you refer to regularly, and anything else you know a person needs in order to get started in the hobby. This is a product to sell: selling your knowledge.

Once you've earned money from this type of information product business, you can invest in the creation of your own products if you want, or start offering more informational products that allow you to sell your knowledge.

Copyright (c) 2006 www.hobby4profit.com

Antonio Thornton started with $37 and turned his "nerdy" computer hobby into a $500,000.00 per year business. Get the free Hobby For Profit Audio Report and discover how to turn your hobby into profit today! http://www.hobby4profit.com/freeh4p.

Have you started scrapbooking or card making and want to know what die-cutting company to purchase your scrapbook die-cuts from? Here are three scrapbook die-cutting companies for you to consider. This List has been compiled based on Quality, Affordability, Versatility, & Design and soley the opinion of the author. (Please note that the list does NOT include digital or computer software based die-cutting manufacturers. This list is provided for those that like papercrafting with their hands.)

1. Spellbinders Paper Arts

Spellbinders entered the craft market in 2003 with the introduction of the Wizard Universal Die-Cutting and Embossing Machine. Spellbinders die templates are coated with a bronze color making them easy to distinguish from other competitor dies. All Spellbinders dies have a triple function that cut, emboss, and stencil, making them the most versatile dies on the market. As far as quality and design, stacey Caron head designer and president of Spellbinders Paper Arts, is nothing but spectacular. With 250 patented and patent pending products like Nestabilities, Shapeabilities, and Impressabilities, she takes designing to the extreme providing exactly what customers want. Spellbinders die templates are a little more expensive than other die-cuts, but the quality and versatility make their products a very good value for your money. Hands down Spellbinders has the most creative and overall best design team in the market today. This is why they received the number one spot on the list.

2. Provo Craft (Cuttlebug)

Provo Craft is definitely the pioneer of crafting with over 40 years of experience. They inspire creativity and provide some of the best products on the market, like the Cuttlebug and the Cuttlebug embossing folders. The Cuttlebug Die Cutter & Embosser is considered the most portable, user-friendly die-cutting system out there and is very popular with papercrafters of all ages. It is easy to store and will cut and emboss a wide range of materials. This machines accepts all leading brand dies. Following the Cuttlebug machine, Provo Craft then released their line of embossing folders, which flew off the shelves! Card Makers are not shy in telling you these A2 embossing folders are a dream come true. With professional quality embossing, texture, and design, scrapbookers can't resist them. Cuttlebug cutting dies are also of good quality, but don't boast the creativity of the embossing folders. And at only 4.99, the price of the embossing folders is hard to beat. So with the easy to use Cuttlebug machine and the amazing texture and design of their embossing folders Provo Craft wins second place.

3. Quickutz Inc.

Quickutz Inc. was founded in 2000 by Natasha Hixon. Natasha was searching for a way to create cut-out letters without having to hand trace or use a big industrial die-cutting machine. Hence the Quickutz personal die-cutting system was born. Quickutz offers a variety of dies, however, unlike Spellbinders if you want to cut, emboss, and stencil you might find yourself purchasing multiple dies. Most Quickutz die-cuts do not offer a triple function, but if you will be doing projects where you will only be cutting, then Quickutz dies are the most affordable dies on the market. Also if you are a collector and like new dies they are a die-cutting company that release new dies every month. The die-cuts are usually seasonal shapes that are released a few months prior to the upcoming season. So come Christmas, Quickutz will usually have a release in October with all their christmas shapes. When papercrafters think of alphabets, no one can beat their designs. With their new 4x8 alphabets, Quickutz has taken the ease of cutting out letters to a whole new height! Quickutz stands for quality and die-cutting innovation. With the release of their new universal die-cutting machine the Epic Six, that cuts all their dies and other leading brand dies, it has brought them to a higher level of quality for 2009. Quickutz Inc. has also joined with Lifestyle Crafts to bring back letterpress printing, making handmade stationery affordable and easy for the home crafter. This is why Quickutz is in our number three spot.

It is important to note that most crafters seem to use a combination of the three die-cutting manufacturers. A serious crafter on average would probably be found owning a Cuttlebug Die Cutter & Embosser, with Spellbinders nestabilities and some individual Quickutz dies on the side for very specific seasonal projects.

Dustin Mower invites you to receive more information on these scrapbook die cutting companies by visiting http://www.ucutathome.com. With personalized customer service, great prices and a wide variety of products, CutAtHome is the Ultimate Die Cutting, Paper crafting, and Card Making store online. They specialize in carrying only the best Die Cutting Machines,Die Cuts, and Scrapbooking Paper.

About Me

I am a stay at home mum and have been married for 17 years to a wonderful arty talented man who supports me to follow my passions. I teach scrapbooking at Arnolds Scrapbook Store where I love sharing new techniques and meeting people. I am a design team member for Australian Scrapbook Ideas Magazine and was published in the September 2012 Issue of Cricut Magazine. I have three young children. A boy who is now 11 and two girls one who is 8 and one who is 4. I have been scrapbooking for 8 years on a very tight scrapping budget. Which is what motivated me to start this blog. I'm totally addicted to scrapbooking and love introducing new people to this addiction.